Abstract Detail

Plant invasions in a time of environmental change

Parker, Ingrid M. [1], Swope, Sarah [2].

Population biology of invasive species.

The defining characteristic of invasive populations is that they grow and spread. Population biology gives us the tools to understand how much the growth rates of invasive species vary spatially and temporally, to assess which demographic and ecological factors are most important in driving growth rates, and to compare the potential effectiveness of control strategies that target different aspects of the life cycle. We draw on two case studies to illustrate how population models can provide novel insights into the ecology and control of invasive plants. In the woody legume Cytisus scoparius, invasion rates were surprisingly rapid in relatively pristine prairie habitats relative to highly disturbed urban fields. LTRE analysis showed that, among many demographic differences between the two habitats, seedling establishment drove the observed difference in invasion rates. In the annual herb Centaurea solstitialis, population growth rate and the relative contribution of different demographic transitions varied temporally and spatially, suggesting that a biological control agent that is effective in one part of the range may not be effective in another. Strong density-dependent effects also played out differently in different populations, with important consequences for seed limitation and population dynamics.

Broader Impacts:

1 - University of California, Santa Cruz, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
2 - University of California, Santa Cruz, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Santa Cruz, 95064, USA

Keywords:
finite rate of growth
biological invasion
demography
biological control
Centaurea solstitialis
Cytisus scoparius.

Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation
Session: SY2
Location: Ballroom B/Convention Center
Date: Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Time: 10:15 AM
Number: SY2006
Abstract ID:290